“Young people in regional areas often have to move away from home to complete their tertiary education,” Mr Noble said.

“This puts them at a significant financial disadvantage and can impact on their ability to take up these opportunities.”

The foundation was able to increase its number of scholarships from four to seven as a result of a bequest from the late Niel Black, a dairy industry advocate and supporter of the UDV for more than 50 years.

The program encourages students to return to dairy regions upon graduation to apply their new skills.

Matthew Roache is a dairy farmer from Woolsthorpe in south-west Victoria, who moved to Wagga Wagga to complete his Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Charles Sturt University.

Mr Roache said the Gardiner Tertiary Scholarship had given him greater flexibility.

“It doesn’t mean you do nothing, but it means you can focus more on your studies and that will help in the long term,” he said.

Mr Roache said his time at university had solidified his return home and a career in dairy agronomy.

The scholarship provides freedom for students to explore career pathways and gain experience within the dairy industry.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must meet the following requirements:

■ Pursuing a field of study that will directly benefit the dairy industry or dairy communities.

■ Commencing their first year of full-time tertiary study in 2020.

■ Required to live away from home in order to pursue their chosen course.

Applications must be submitted online by 5pm on Sunday, November 24.

Further information and application forms are available at: https://gardinerfoundation.typeform.com/to/LrK1j9

Completed applications must be submitted by email to: scholarships@gardinerfoundation.com.au